Angry Corals Low ALK/Diatoms

Alex's Nano Reef

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Pictures are at the bottom will help with the context

so yesterday morning all my coral were doing fine i was letting the week ride without dosing to see how much Calcium and Alk my tank would use. I tested my alk at around 2 Pm and it was low at 6.8 Dkh all my other parameters were pretty much perfect. All Frags doing well when i left for work at 3. I get home from work at around 9 oclock and all my corals were significantly closed up and irritated so i checked all parameters and my alk had dropped to 6.4 all my other parameters were good tho. phosphate .04,calcium 406, Ph 8.2,salinity 1.026,ammonia,0 nitrite 0 nitrate(small amount detected.) Once i realized this i started to dose a little part b the alk part of the two little fishies 2 part. it seemed to have made all the coral a little happier. i added 10ml trying to bring the alk up to somewhere in the mid 7 range i added the two part, part b from around 945-1230 so I didn't screw my ph to much. One thing i noticed were these white spots of dying diatoms on the glass i dont know if its from just the fact im beating them or if the low ALK had anything to do with it. but I'm wondering if the diatom die off has anything to do with the angry coral. The next day i decided to do about a 3 gallon water change(the tank is a 20g tank) and then i waited about a hour and a half and tested my Params. this was what they were Calcium 460ppm Alk 7.8 Phos .03 Ph 8.2 Salinity 1.026. The most puzzling thing about this is that i have a aussie lord that looks the best he ever has yet other coral look irritated and the hammer and frogspawn are angry. the aussie lord was angry when the alk was really low but after i brought it up it opened up as full as it could. So did the low alk contribute to the diatom die off is that in turn ticking off coral. could i possibly have to strong or long of a light schedule (that's a whole other thread even though i haven't had any problems since i put the coral in the tank) and in general what the heck is going on.
ticked 2.jpg
ticked.jpg

diatom die off.jpg
 

blaxsun

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The low alkalinity could've certainly ticked them off, and as it's now rebounded some of them may be happy while others are still ticked off. I'd look at your other parameters like magnesium and nitrates as well - because you really don't want to be running at zero nitrates.
 
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Alex's Nano Reef

Alex's Nano Reef

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The low alkalinity could've certainly ticked them off, and as it's now rebounded some of them may be happy while others are still ticked off. I'd look at your other parameters like magnesium and nitrates as well - because you really don't want to be running at zero nitrates.
i agree but here's my thinking the frogspawn would return to normal before a aussie lord would but maybe im just wrong . im be getting a salifert MG test soon that's one honestly i never used to test for so i didn't but the kit when i copped all the hanna ones. but i cant imagine its low if anything probably high if the 2 little fishies 2 part has it inside even then i remember reading something saying that no ones really seen a negative impact on corals from high Mg levels.
 

blaxsun

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I've had hammers and torches perpetually ticked off for weeks for whatever reason (something crawled across one, one stung the other, etc.) When they get stressed they don't all immediately rebound in the same manner. I've still got a few recovering from being merely knocked over in the sand for the better part of a day...
 
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Alex's Nano Reef

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I've had hammers and torches perpetually ticked off for weeks for whatever reason (something crawled across one, one stung the other, etc.) When they get stressed they don't all immediately rebound in the same manner. I've still got a few recovering from being merely knocked over in the sand for the better part of a day...
Yeah im not to worried im starting to become a believer in if the params are right let it ride just jeep an eye one everything. Have u ever seen diatom die off like that on glass tho or experienced it?
 

blaxsun

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Yeah im not to worried im starting to become a believer in if the params are right let it ride just jeep an eye one everything. Have u ever seen diatom die off like that on glass tho or experienced it?
I've actually never been able to cultivate diatoms, dinos or cyano in my tanks. Either I'm doing something right or I have one heck of a cleaning crew.
 

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I would definitely raise nitrates . Slowly bring up to between 5-15, slowly raise alk making sure mag and cal are also in check . Also keep in mind that when the lights ramp down or up corals will closeup . . Good luck !
 
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I would definitely raise nitrates . Slowly bring up to between 5-15, slowly raise alk making sure mag and cal are also in check . Also keep in mind that when the lights ramp down or up corals will closeup . . Good luck !
when I'm raising alk i try not to make more than a .05 dent in the ph i do it over a while im currently dosing 5 ml of the alk solution i will check all params again tmrw morning.
 

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